Daijiworld Media Network - Barcelona

Barcelona, Feb 4: Teenage sensation Lamine Yamal struck before half-time and defender Ronald Araujo added another early in the second half as Barcelona booked their place in the Copa del Rey semi-finals with a hard-fought win over second-division Albacete on Tuesday.

The 32-time cup winners, however, were made to sweat till the end as Albacete pulled one back late through Javi Moreno, though they fell short of forcing extra time.

“The last few minutes... it’s normal, they got a goal, the cup is like this,” Araujo told Barcelona’s media channel. “I’m very happy (to start again), it was an important step... a hug to the coach, he helped me a lot.”

Barcelona dominated possession in the opening half but struggled to carve out clear-cut chances. The breakthrough finally came when Marcus Rashford won the ball back and Frenkie de Jong’s pass found Yamal, who finished calmly to give the hosts the lead.

Albacete threatened to respond before the interval when Antonio Puertas broke through, but goalkeeper Joan Garcia gathered safely.

After the break, Dani Olmo missed a close-range opportunity following another move initiated by Rashford. Moments later, Barcelona doubled the advantage as Araujo rose highest to head in a corner delivered by Rashford — marking the defender’s first start since returning after a month away from the squad.

Albacete pushed hard in the closing stages, with Puertas seeing a goal ruled out for offside. The visitors finally found the net in the 87th minute when Moreno nodded in Jose Lazo’s free-kick, setting up a tense finish.

Barcelona held firm through stoppage time, with Gerard Martin producing a crucial goal-line clearance to deny an equaliser.

“It was a tough match at the end, it was very hard. We could have made it much easier for ourselves, we missed many chances, but I think also we deserved (to win),” Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said. “I’m happy, proud of the team and we’re in the semi-finals, and that’s the best thing.”

Flick also praised Araujo’s impact on his return. “We have to finish with more conviction. He scored a very important goal for us, it could help him to get more confidence and believe in himself,” the German coach added.

In other quarter-final fixtures, Valencia host Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad visit Alaves on Wednesday, while Atletico Madrid travel to face Real Betis on Thursday.